416th Infantry Division
The 416th Infantry Division was a German Army unit in World War II. It was formed on December 20, 1941, with headquarters in Braunschweig to help occupy Denmark.
From January 1942 to September 1944, the division stayed in Denmark under German command, with Aalborg as a base at times. Denmark earned the nickname “the Whipped Cream Front” because occupation was relatively easy, with good food supplies and plenty of dairy. Because of this, the division’s nickname became the “Whipped Cream Division.”
In 1942 its two regiments were renamed several times, becoming Landesschützen regiments (441 and 443), then returning to infantry and later to grenadier regiments. In January 1943 the regiments were sent to Army Group Center on the Eastern Front. To replace losses, rear-area troops were used to form fortress and grenadier regiments for the division.
In 1943–1944 the division received a mix of units, including a Russian grenadier regiment (714) added in 1944 and later renumbered as part of the Russian Brigade 599. A German replacement regiment was created to keep the lineup clear, later designated as Regiment 774.
On October 4, 1944, the division was ordered to fight on the Western Front. It moved to western Germany, in the Saar-Palatinate area, with its command post near Keuchingen. The Russian battalions stayed in Denmark. In 1945, Grenadier Regiment 714 became Grenadier Regiment 1604 (Russian) of Russian Brigade 599, while a German regiment replaced it (renamed 774 by late 1944 to avoid confusion).
From October 1944 to March 1945 the division fought with the 1st Army in the Saar-Palatinate and then with the 7th Army, operating in the Hunsrück region. In late March/early April 1945 it fought the Battle of Aschaffenburg with about 7,000 men.
In May 1945 the remaining troops were captured by American forces near Traunstein in Bavaria. The division’s pastor, Wilhelm Wöste, helped lead the surrender negotiations.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 16:42 (CET).